Fashion Week was once again held in Berlin (from January 15 to January 20, 2013), and this time I wanted to be a part of it. However, due to work commitments, I could only fly to the capital on January 17 — and by then, the fashion scene was already in full swing. Countless runway shows were taking place at various locations, and the biggest designers were showcasing the latest trends for Fall/Winter 2013 in a massive tent set up right in the middle of Straße des 17. Juni, in front of the Brandenburg Gate.
In the evenings, glamorous parties were the place to be — like the Hugo Boss, Diesel, Armani, or Premium parties. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend all of them this year, but the biggest event of Fashion Week was still to come: the Michalsky Stylenite 2013 at the Tempodrom, with over 1,500 invited guests. The grand finale of the week. I had to be there — but how? Without an official invitation, it was anything but easy. In fact, almost impossible.
But let’s first go back to Udo Walz, with whom I’ve maintained a good connection ever since my interview with him on October 4th of last year.
From time to time, we talk on the phone — I ask how he’s doing, what’s new, and I’ve also visited him in his salon three times since then. Every time I’ve flown to Berlin, a visit to him was a must. There’s one thing you need to know about Udo: if you want to tell him something, it has to be in person or via mobile phone. You can’t email him, and he doesn’t read text messages — which doesn’t exactly make him easy to reach. Before Christmas, I wanted to wish him a Merry Christmas by phone, but I couldn’t get through. The same happened before New Year’s and at the beginning of the year — no luck reaching him, which left me with an uneasy feeling that maybe he was intentionally ignoring me. So on January 18, 2013, I thought twice about whether I should visit Udo or better not. Not being able to reach him had unsettled me a little.
Kaffee und Kuchen im Salon von Udo Walz
So despite my uncertainty, I decided to find out what was going on and whether he didn’t want to talk to me anymore. Since my hotel was located right on Ku’damm, practically around the corner from his salon, I found myself standing in front of his shop window very shortly after making that decision. I was lucky—Udo was there. Which isn’t always the case, as he often travels all over the world. But because of Fashion Week, he had stayed in Berlin. He saw me through the window, and I could tell he was trying to figure out who I was.
Then he came to the door, opened it, looked at me, and asked, “Do I know you? You look so familiar.”
To which I immediately replied, “Udo, it’s me—Oliver from Düsseldorf. Don’t tell me you don’t remember me?”
He answered, “Ah, Oliver, it’s you! I see you’ve got a new hairstyle.” And just like that, his hand was on my head, running down to the back as he said, “Well, you should’ve had it cut a bit differently back here.”
I replied, “Udo, I would’ve gladly had you cut my hair, but you don’t do men’s hair.”
It’s worth mentioning here: although Udo is openly gay, he’s always stayed true to himself when it comes to hairstyling—he only cuts women’s hair.
So we went into his salon together and sat down on the white guest couch on the left.
After I confronted him about the fact that I had tried to contact him several times and asked whether he no longer wanted to speak with me, he immediately said that was absolute nonsense. He had just received so many calls recently that mine probably got lost among them. And there was no reason for him to ignore me.
Then came one of those moments that make Udo so likable: he asked me if I’d seen his new commercial on TV and what I thought of it. His eyes literally sparkled with pride as he waited eagerly for my feedback. I simply said, “You’re pretty much everywhere these days—I’ve seen that commercial all over the place!” I laughed. “But you come across really well in it.”
Udo’s smile widened, and he added, “I got paid a lot of money for that.”
It wasn’t a brag—it was pride. Pride that he had been chosen for the campaign and had been paid handsomely for it. Even though most Germans know who Udo is, Udo himself is a celebrity chaser. The background photo on his iPhone is of him with Celine Dion on the red carpet at the last Bambi Awards in Düsseldorf. His phone is filled with photos of him and countless celebrities. Who would’ve thought—Udo, the celebrity hunter, making his rounds at exclusive events.
In the salon, he runs a strict but fair ship. Watching how his employees behave and interact with him, I noticed he tends to hire mostly extroverted personalities, who aren’t afraid to joke around with their boss now and then. It was just a brief snapshot, but I would say: as long as his team is punctual, responsible, and gets their work done properly, they enjoy a lot of creative freedom in the salon.
Oh yes—back to Fashion Week and the Michalsky StyleNite. I asked him whether he might be able to pull some strings to get me a ticket. Normally, yes. But not on the last day—or on the day of the event itself.
My Encounter with Udo Walz at the Michalsky StyleNite
Nevertheless, he pulled out his iPhone and dialed Michael Michalsky’s number. Naturally, he couldn’t reach him—he was probably busy with more important things, like preparing his big event that same evening. But Udo immediately assured me that he would definitely get me into the after-show party. We agreed to speak again later to coordinate when I should show up in front of the Tempodrom so he could bring me in.
Just as I was about to leave, Mirja du Mont walked in to get a stylish hairstyle for the Michalsky show. Moments later, Joachim Heider appeared in front of us—someone I had never heard of until that moment. He said goodbye to Udo and disappeared again. Udo then explained to me that “Jo” was a composer and producer who had worked with the likes of Marianne Rosenberg, Udo Jürgens, Roland Kaiser, Freddy Quinn, and so on. Definitely not my generation, I thought. One thing’s for sure: at Udo’s salon, there’s always some kind of celebrity alert.
I eventually left, went back to my hotel, slowly got ready, and called Udo again just before 9 p.m. He quickly told me to be at the Tempodrom exit at 9:50 p.m. so he could get me into the after-show party. At 9:45 p.m., a taxi dropped me off at the Tempodrom, and in what felt like -10°C, I waited outside the entrance, which also served as the exit, for Udo to arrive. I started to panic a little, worried my ears might fall off if I stayed in that brutal cold any longer. So I said to myself—screw it—and headed into the VIP pre-tent.
Michael Michalsky himself was there—and after just 2 or 3 minutes, Udo suddenly appeared. It’s worth noting here that this entrance area had a long, wide counter staffed with five or six hostesses. They had surely been responsible for handing out wristbands to celebrities and invited guests earlier in the evening. There were also clusters of security guards posted at every corner and entrance.
Udo spotted me, and I walked over to him, quietly asking, “How do I get in? Where do I get my wristband?” He immediately said, “Come behind the barrier!”
“But Udo, I still need a wristband, don’t I?” I asked again.
At that point, he snapped a bit and said, “Oh, stop fussing and just come behind the barrier.”
The barrier consisted of stanchions connected by thick black ropes. A narrow opening allowed me to slip through. Udo instantly grabbed my arm and said I should follow him. A roughly 10-meter-long corridor led us to a glass door, behind which the after-show party was already in full swing. The previously oh-so-intimidating security guards didn’t even glance at us. Not because they hadn’t seen us, but because of Udo’s direct and confident manner—they simply didn’t question whether I had a wristband or not.
He opened the glass door and said, “Here you go—have fun! I’m done with the party scene. I’m heading home. Have a great evening and good luck!” And with that, he turned and walked toward the exit.
von links: Mirja du Mont & mr.uniQue
Udo doesn’t really need to do this, because what could I possibly say or offer him right now that would benefit him for supporting me?
He helps because he genuinely wants to — apparently, he finds me likeable. At least, that’s the impression he gives me. And I have to admit, I really like him too — he’s got his heart in the right place.
So there I was, inside the Michalsky After-Show Party, and it was quite fascinating to see who was there. The venue itself wasn’t exactly mind-blowing, but for mr.uniQue, I was able to make some important and new connections. I had a personal conversation with Mirja du Mont, I stopped Ursula Karven as she was rushing to the bar, and I directly approached Tom Lemke (the star photographer) about the message I’d sent him on Facebook.
All three already confirmed that they’d be happy to do an interview with me. So for me, it was definitely a successful evening. I also ran into some familiar faces and was once again surprised by how small the world really is. Around 2 or 3 a.m., I took a taxi back to the hotel and crashed into bed — dead tired and slightly tipsy.
Once I got back to Düsseldorf, I called Udo on Monday right away to thank him properly for his help — as one should. And finally, I told him I’d definitely get in touch when I’m next in Berlin. To which he immediately replied, “Do that, I’m looking forward to it.” And with that, we said our goodbyes.
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